red sky in the morning (sailor take warning)
by Kolbie Ru-Ru
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha is cheerful, forever smiling, and deadly with a sword in hand. Team 7 is cohesive, capable, and formidable apart but unbeatable when together. This world is better for all of it. [OR: Takeshi and Sasuke are one and the same. Mafioso and shinobi aren't so different, after all.] AU. Reincarnation. No Pairings.
1. suddenly it begins to rain

**Notes: Just a head's up - this isn't a meaty, cover-every-little-thing kind of fic. I wanted to see a friendly, cheerful Sasuke, and then I wanted to see a Yamamoto-reincarnated-as-Sasuke fic. This is basically a bunch of moments cobbled together and will likely only be five chapters. I've written up to three, and when I post them will depend entirely on the response to this. That being said, I hope you guys like it!**

 **The title is from that saying "red sky at night, sailor's delight/red sky in morning, sailor take warning" which I picked solely because it sounded cool.**

 **Edit: Someone made a good point about the time skips being confusing, and I'll admit to having concerns about it myself. With that in mind, I'll be adding descriptions to each section to indicate what time has been skipped to. The canon timeline is pretty wonky, however, so I'm just roughly estimating everything. If it doesn't make sense, let me know!  
**

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 **I. [early afternoon, genin exams]  
**

"You passed! Good job, Sasuke-kun," Iruka smiles up at him, kindly. He then gently places the symbol of Takeshi's new status as a shinobi of the Leaf in his awaiting hands. Everything about the man is always gentle, always kind. Takeshi likes him a lot.

"Thanks!" He practically chirps. He hadn't expected to fail, exactly, but Iruka's visible pride in him is both reassuring and pleasing. He pockets the hitai-ate, and after a reminder about the paperwork Takeshi now has to fill out and turn in to make his graduation official, he exits the exam room only to run into a sizable crowd of his admirers.

"Did you pass, Sasuke-kun?" One of them asks, excitedly.

"Of course he did!" Another one scoffs. "There's no way he'd fail!"

"Maybe we'll be on the same team, Sasuke-kun!" A third girl chimes in, hopefully.

"Thanks for waiting for me, ladies," he says, smiling placatingly at all of them and ignoring the questions with practiced ease. "Do you mind letting me through?" He explains, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, "I'd like to head home to celebrate."

He can see the moment understanding dawns on most of them, their expressions of adoration morphing into sympathy. Takeshi thinks he hates them, just a little. They immediately part down the middle, allowing him access to the hallway with varied exclamations of assent.

"Of course, Sasuke-kun!"

He gives them all another grin, along with his thanks, which somehow elicits lots of swooning, and then he makes the trek to the Uchiha Compound in relative peace. He does stop to chat with a few friendly faces - elderly civilians he knows from helping them over the years, as well as owners of the shops he frequents - and their praise of him kindles the warmth in his chest enough that not even the uneasy silence of the Uchiha District can faze him.

Takeshi waits until he's inside his own bedroom to properly examine the forehead protector. It's the standard blue one that all of the other genin received, and while he knows he could trade it in for something more unique, he decides against it easily. With steady hands, he puts it in place and then ties it behind his head. The weight is unexpectedly calming, almost as if it had always been there or was always meant to be there - and that's relieving, too.

He's finally officially a shinobi, like his parents had wanted him to be. He turns around fully and regards himself in the mirror he'd placed in his room for this purpose - and as a reminder.

Sasuke Uchiha stares back at him, placidly, and even after twelve years in this body, in this life, in this world, the sight is an uncomfortable one. Because where Sasuke is pale, of average height, all sharp angles and innate grace, Takeshi Yamamoto had been tan, tall, muscular and graceful only if he was concentrating. Where he has to work to keep a frown off Sasuke's face, Takeshi's default expression had been a smile.

Takeshi had died young, before his father and all of his friends, protecting them from an unexpected attack, the intricacies of which have all been lost to him now - and he's unashamedly, stupidly grateful that it had been him and not anyone else.

He'd been reborn somehow, and he'd known right away that it was a different world entirely. There'd been some crazy powers in his old world - just look at what the Arcobaleno had been, before Tsuna had found a way to break their curse - but nothing had come close to the frankly insane potential of chakra. His new family... Well, they'd been distant but loving in their own ways, and Takeshi had mourned for them.

He shakes his head and pushes aside the gruesome, too vivid memories that arise without fail when his thoughts turn toward his family.

He observes his reflection again and forces Sasuke's uncooperative scowl into an easy smile, Takeshi's smile. He laughs, and Sasuke laughs with him.

"I'm a shinobi," he says aloud, testing the title out. He clasps the metal of his hitai-ate between two fingers. "Sasuke Uchiha, genin of the Leaf Village."

It feels- right. Even if everything about it is wrong.

 **II. [next day, mid morning, team assignment]  
**

He exchanges pleasantries with a few of his classmates when he arrives at the classroom the next day and little more than that. It seems that no matter the world, Takeshi attracts sycophants and zealots like flies, and it's with them in mind that he keeps his distance - with the exception of one person.

"Naruto? What are you doing here?" Kiba shouts accusingly.

Shikamaru opens his eyes lazily and observes, "You failed yesterday, so where did you get that hitai-ate?"

Smug is really the only word to describe the expression on Naruto's face as he says, "Iruka-sensei passed me! He gave me his own hitai-ate, see?" The boy points excitedly at said item and then doggedly sidesteps any further questions on the matter.

Takeshi narrows his eyes in contemplation. There had been a call for jounin last night, high alert. He doesn't spot any visible injuries on Naruto, but Iruka definitely looks worse for wear. And while the man had never been outright hostile toward Naruto, he'd never been particularly kind to him either - until this morning. Takeshi recognizes that overwhelming fondness mixed with awe on Iruka's face. It's the same expression Tsuna's enemies-turned-friends had all eventually developed towards him, usually after he'd done something so wholeheartedly Tsuna that they'd had no choice but to like him.

Naruto had always given off a Tsuna-ish vibe. It's probably not a stretch to say this is the same kind of situation and that it resulted in Iruka passing him.

"Good morning, Naruto!" Takeshi greets him warmly. He doesn't ask for confirmation since it's likely the entire thing is confidential. It had involved jounin, after all.

Naruto's face lights up when he realizes that there's an open seat next to Takeshi and Sakura. "Morning! Sasuke, Sakura-chan!" He practically shouts - because Naruto practically shouts everything. 'Loud' is his default volume. When Takeshi had first met him, he'd almost expected to hear the word 'extreme' a couple dozen times.

He plops down gracelessly in the open seat, earning vicious glares from a few of Takeshi's admirers. They'd been none too happy when Takeshi had first befriended the kid, but he'd managed to charm most of them into actually giving Naruto a chance. The ones who'd insisted that Naruto would taint him somehow had been privy to one of his rare displays of anger, and then the threats had stopped, too. Naruto's thoroughly surprised but pleased expression had been entirely worth it.

He'd always regretted not doing the same for Tsuna, back then. He's happy with the way things turned out, but maybe both of them could have been saved a lot turmoil if they'd had each other to rely on - before Reborn arrived and brought that wonderful chaos with him.

"Good morning, Naruto," Sakura replies after a moment's hesitation. Because of Naruto's sometimes thoughtless but well-meaning comments about her, Sakura had had more reasons to dislike Naruto than the others. Regardless, Takeshi had managed to talk her around and make her realize that Naruto's infatuation was actually genuine, and she's been not exactly friendly but at the very least civil towards him ever since. It's more than most of their class can say, much less the rest of the village.

"Settle down!" Iruka calls from the front of the room, and almost everyone hurries to do so. Generally nice he may be, but Iruka-sensei can be pretty scary when he wants to be, hahaha.

 **III. [early afternoon, team 7 meeting]  
**

"Aghhhh!" Naruto growls, running his hands through his hair irritably. "Where is our stupid sensei?!"

Takeshi shares some of his impatience since it has been at least a few hours since the teams were announced and everyone else left. "Maa, I'm sure he'll be here soon, Naruto," Takeshi attempts to placate him.

Sakura chimes in, worriedly, "It has been an awfully long time."

"Heheh," Naruto suddenly giggles to himself. "I'll teach him to not to mess with the future Hokage!" With that, he grabs one of the board erasers, pulls a chair over to the door, eases it open slightly, and then places the eraser precariously on top of it. It's a classic prank, if a little simple. Takeshi approves and gives Naruto a thumbs up when he looks to him in askance.

"Do you really think a jounin would fall for that?" Sakura asks him exasperatedly - which is a good point, really.

As if in answer to her question, a silvery head of hair chooses that moment to pop in. The eraser lands on him with a poof of chalk dust.

There's a beat of silence, and then...

Naruto laughs uproariously at the admittedly silly sight while Sakura apologizes profusely. Takeshi, however, has to stop himself from tensing as all of his senses scream that the man in front of them is a danger. His posture is languid, and his entire body is projecting that he is nothing more than a harmless civilian. He'd be inclined to believe it like Naruto and Sakura clearly have, even knowing the man is a jounin, were Takeshi not intimately familiar with that particular mask.

It's the same one he wears, after all.

"My first impression of you..." The jounin says, eyeing the three of them disdainfully. "I don't like you. Meet me on the roof in five minutes."

He disappears in a whirl of leaves.

 **IV. [early afternoon, team introductions]  
**

Takeshi likes Kakashi. The man is funny and kind of reminds him of Reborn with his cryptic words and thinly-veiled amusement. The sadistic humor is strangely nostalgic.

Even when Naruto and Sakura are gulping in fear or shouting in aggravation, Takeshi finds himself genuinely laughing. He's always enjoyed overreactions, and his new teammates are great sources of them, especially with Kakashi there to egg them on.

"What're you laughing at, Sasuke-bastard?" Naruto yells, irritated, gripping the collar of Takeshi's shirt.

This is pleasantly familiar, too. "You guys are funny," he answers truthfully.

Growling incoherently, Naruto brings his free hand up to swing at him, but he's foiled by their new sensei's tight grip on his wrist.

"Now, now, let's not strangle each other before we even introduce ourselves!" Kakashi chides him cheerily.

Naruto lets him go, crossing his arms with a huff. Takeshi settles back in his spot with a smile. There's apparently 'something' about his cheerful nature that rubs people the wrong way, sometimes. Reactions to that are always good fun, as well.

"All right. You, the angry one. Go first," Kakashi points at Naruto.

Takeshi's smile grows a bit bigger at that, and even Sakura giggles. Naruto does not appreciate any of this in the slightest.

He shakes it off and plasters on a grin, excitedly introducing himself, "My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen and really cool jutsu and Iruka-sensei and the Old Man! And Sasuke-bastard is okay, I guess. I don't like the three minutes it takes to cook ramen and Miz- uh, bad guys! My hobbies are eating ramen and training!" His eyes light up as he finishes with, "And my dream is to become the Hokage! Believe it!"

Markedly unimpressed, Kakashi says, "Okay, you, the pink one."

Sakura blinks uncertainly. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like..." Here, she blushes and glances at Takeshi. "I dislike Ino-pig! Um, my hobbies are..." Another glance at Takeshi. "And my dream is..." She trails off, peeking at him and giggling girlishly. Takeshi tries not wince.

Kakashi visibly sweat drops. "...Right. And you?"

Takeshi says, "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like-" baseball "-sushi and kenjutsu. I can't really think of anything I don't like," he admits sheepishly. "My hobbies are cooking and training. My dream is..."

He feels more than sees the rest of them - Kakashi in particular - holding their breaths, and he knows that something big rests on his answer here.

He grins. "My dream is to make my Clan proud by becoming a legend like you, Kakashi-sensei."

Takeshi manages to spot the sliver of relief in Kakashi's visible eye at his words - relief that he's not hung up on some sort of vengeance, no doubt - likely only because he was looking for it.

It's not unreasonable that a normal kid like Sasuke was supposed to be would get caught up in revenge after trauma like that, especially with Itachi's parting words to consider, but Takeshi's no normal kid - probably never was. No normal child would have sensed the unrest and tension in their family and subsequently carefully snuck around, eavesdropping on important conversations and slowly putting the pieces together. They wouldn't have realized their Clan was planning something dangerous and that their older brother was at the heart of it.

He'd known Itachi had been stressed, burdened with the responsibility of the Clan at such a young age, of playing the spy and lying to both sides, and he'd done his best to wipe away his brother's frown whenever he could, make him laugh and forget his worries, at least for a little while.

Takeshi could never have imagined that he'd find his brother standing over the dead bodies of their parents, trying and failing to keep his expression blank all while speaking of his betrayal in a deadened tone. Beneath his quiet terror and confusion, he'd thought Itachi had seemed small and fragile, as if a slight breeze would carry him away were it not for the weight of the world on his tiny shoulders.

 _(He was only thirteen.)_

 **V. [next day, late morning, survival test]  
**

"So now it's your turn?" Kakashi asks indifferently, attention trained on the book in his hands. The newly minted genin across from him doesn't even register as a threat.

Takeshi smirks, withdrawing his sword and falling into a familiar stance - because he's used to people not classifying him as a threat. He's also used to showing those people exactly why underestimating him is a mistake. Closing his eyes, he calmly finds his resolve, and with only a small tug at his core, he coats his blade in blue flames.

"That's a neat trick," Kakashi says rather blandly, but Takeshi can read the interest on his face.

Fugaku had been interested in the flames, too, until he'd dismissed them as useless when Takeshi had revealed they were cool to the touch. He may have grown fond of the man, might've loved him even, but Fugaku had never been very perceptive when it came to his own kids. That much had been made painfully obvious, and the entire Clan had paid for it.

Takeshi laughs. "Thanks."

He attacks without warning, and Kakashi dodges each strike easily. That's okay, though, because Takeshi isn't trying especially hard either, simply using the time to gauge his opponent - how he fights, how he reacts to Takeshi's swings, how much he's holding back.

After all, this is Kakashi Hatake, Sharingan-user and man of a thousand jutsu. His Clan members had complained about him more than a few times over the years, what with him being in possession of one of their special eyes, and Takeshi had eventually looked him up in order to satisfy his own curiosity. He hadn't had any expectations for their jounin-sensei, really, but it certainly makes sense to pair the only other (loyal) living Sharingan-user with the last (loyal) Uchiha. He seriously doubts the possibility of his dear, older brother dropping in to teach him.

"You're good for a genin," Kakashi eventually drawls, "but not good enough."

Takeshi laughs again. Maybe he should start on that whole 'underestimating him is a mistake' thing.

 _Shigure Soen Ryu First Form: Axle of Rain!_

He charges and thrusts his katana forward in a blur of graceful movement. Kakashi sidesteps it, but Takeshi wasn't aiming to cut him. In the same moment, the flames surge outward and latch onto his opponent's hip. Kakashi's eye widens in alarm, but before he can attempt to remove it (a fruitless endeavor), Takeshi is on him again, faster this time.

Kakashi backflips away after a close shave with his jugular, and Takeshi follows up with a Great Fireball. The fight continues in that vein - with Takeshi upping his skill level at odd moments and Kakashi subsequently doing the same, even going so far as to put his book away - until...

"Now, Naruto!"

At the signal, hundreds of Naruto clones surround the two of them in the clearing, crowding in on Kakashi in particular. With his attention divided between Takeshi's deadly swings and the suddenly coordinated blows from the clones (all of whom had been getting in each others' way when Naruto had openly challenged Kakashi earlier), Takeshi manages to find an opening to sever the bells from Kakashi's person.

He makes an aborted movement to grab them, but Kakashi easily deflects him. The man either doesn't notice or pretends not to notice the lone Naruto who picks his way through the chaos and snatches up the bells at the same moment Takeshi and another clone force him to jump over their combined attack.

"I got the bells!" Sakura announces in disbelief, dropping the transformation jutsu. At this, Naruto dismisses his remaining clones, and Takeshi stops trying to stab his teacher. Said teacher's face is unreadable.

"Good job, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cheers with a bright grin.

Takeshi can hardly stop one forming on his own face, not that he'd want to. "Yeah, good work, team," He addresses both of them, warmly. They all smile at each other, pleased with their results.

"Yes, very clever, Sakura," Kakashi chimes in. "Now, who are you going to give the other bell to? Remember that the one without a bell is returning to the Academy."

Predictably, Naruto declares right away, "Give it to Sasuke. I've failed before, and I can take the test again. You guys should be ninja."

"Maa, I can achieve my dream just as easily if I wait another year," Takeshi says easily.

Sakura glances between them, terribly uncertain, but she seems to come to a decision as she squares her shoulders and sets her jaw. "I'm not going to be the one to crush your dreams. Out of all of ours, mine can be put on hold. So take the stupid bells!" She holds the bells out towards both of them, her eyes daring them to argue with her.

"That's enough," Kakashi breaks the stalemate carelessly. Takeshi thinks he seems rather proud. "You all pass."

"What?" Naruto blurts out in confusion, and Sakura looks just as bewildered.

Takeshi breathes a sigh of relief. This whole scenario had rung familiar - like one of Reborn's schemes. The hitman had always set the stakes high, had always seemed like he'd go through with whatever punishment he'd cooked up if any of them failed, and in the end, when they inevitably succeeded, they'd realize what Reborn was teaching them and laugh it off. Well, Takeshi had laughed it off, anyway. Tsuna had usually been rather annoyed, and Gokudera had usually spent the aftermath berating Takeshi and praising Tsuna in turns.

As Kakashi explains what he'd tested them on and why, Takeshi's suspicions are only further confirmed.

"Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum," Kakashi impresses upon them seriously. Takeshi thinks it's definitely something Tsuna would have said. He probably had said something similar, at some point. It's an ideal Takeshi can get behind, at any rate.

Kakashi dismisses them, and the three of them split up with little fanfare - Sakura off to tell her parents and Naruto off to brag to Iruka. Takeshi carefully hides his instinctual flinch to the unintentionally harsh reminder of his lack of anyone to share the news with. He heads home.

"Those blue flames," Kakashi says, acting as if they'd been in the middle of conversation and not like he'd just appeared out of nowhere when Takeshi was alone, "What do they do? What are they?"

Takeshi doesn't startle, more than used to mentors popping up without warning. "I call them Rain Flames," Takeshi reveals, having been prepared for some sort of questioning. "I've been able to make them ever since I was little." Not a lie, exactly. Reborn had taught him it was always better to tell half-truths. Scratching his cheek, he explains, "They have what I call the 'Tranquility Factor', meaning they can slow stuff down, basically."

He'd doused the man in rain flames with almost every swing, and Kakashi likely hadn't noticed his movements were slowing down, had assumed Takeshi was simply becoming faster - at least in the beginning. It's a trap his enemies fall into easily, especially if they're not familiar with his flames' particular abilities. And even if they are.

"Is that so," Kakashi says without inflection. After a contemplative silence in which they walk all the way up to Uchiha Compound's looming gate, he ruffles Takeshi's hair and tells him, "Don't forget. Six tomorrow morning on the bridge." He then vanishes as abruptly as he'd appeared.

Sasuke's frown pulls at his lips. Takeshi smiles.

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 **End Notes: This chapter is shorter than the other two, both of which are over 4k, and the rest of the chapters will hopefully follow suit. The flames are fun to play with and will come _into_ play later. I'm enjoying the Team 7 interactions quite a lot, as well as Takeshi's reactions to basically everything. A cheerful Sasuke makes for lots of interesting by-plays. Also, Sakura has way more screen-time later on than initially intended, but rest assured. There will be no pairings. All aboard the friendship train.**

 **Canon diverges big time after this chapter, by the way. So no worries on that front!**

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 **Leave a review?**


	2. you can become stronger

**Notes: Yes, I changed the title! I'm so pleased at the feedback I've gotten! Ahhh, you're all so awesome. Let's hope you like this next chapter just as much, ne? I'm posting it a little early, but I doubt you guys mind, haha. It takes place a few weeks after the first one and then jumps around in time a bit. Sections in italic are flashbacks! If you're confused about anything, let me know, and I'll clear it up.  
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 **I. [several weeks later, early morning, training]  
**

Sakura wipes her hand through her hair, which is a sweaty, matted mess even with the majority of it pulled back into a ponytail, and wearily glances over to see the progress her teammate has made.

Naruto, who has inhuman amounts of energy to spare and is more enthusiastic about this training than the rest of them, is still squinting in concentration, kunai held in a white-knuckled grip, and there are no visible signs of improvement. He hasn't gotten any further than her, at least. It's a small comfort, but since Sakura can't hope to compete with him in terms of strength, she wants to prove herself in the areas she's actually better in - chakra control being one of them.

Although, she thinks with a grimace, this isn't exactly chakra manipulation.

 _"Oh, this?" Sasuke-kun said easily, holding up a kunai and coating it in those strange blue flames she'd seen him use earlier. Smiling, he explained what they were and how he applied them in battle._

 _Sakura felt the stars in her eyes and tried to tamp down on her gushing. She knew Sasuke-kun didn't appreciate it, and after the conversation he'd had with her - wherein he'd told her how lonely it felt being put upon a pedestal, among other things - she understood why such a thing would be unwelcome. Calmly, she asked, "How are you making them without any hand signs?"_

 _He laughed and asked her if she'd like to learn how to do so herself, and with a fluttery heart and burning cheeks (Sasuke-kun was so cute!), she unthinkingly agreed._

That's why she's spending her free time between missions working herself into the ground rather than literally anything else. She'd thought futilely that this would be a chance to spend time with Sasuke-kun alone - just the two of them! But somehow Naruto had gotten wind of it, and he'd invited himself along. Sasuke-kun hadn't objected, and _Sakura_ couldn't say anything. It might have hit a little too close to home, like the snobbish attitude of Sasuke-kun's unofficial fanclub. And Sakura Haruno is not his fan! She's his teammate and hopefully his friend.

And perhaps, she's Naruto's friend, too.

 _"He means well," Sasuke said. "He likes you because you're smart and because of your hair and because of a million other things he's probably told me at some point."_

 _Sakura frowned. "But he's always so loud, and he bothers me all the time, and I-"_ have a crush on you, _she didn't say._

 _Sasuke smiled sardonically. "That_ would _be annoying." Sakura carefully didn't flinch at the implication._ 'The girls around me are the same.' _It hung in the air between them._

 _"He's- He's_ Naruto _," she floundered for words to describe what she thought should be obvious, what everyone already knew._

 _Sasuke's mouth drew a thin line. "Yes, and he's my friend." She wasn't quite able withhold a wince this time. "Maybe you should think about why that is."_

She _had_ thought about it, and she'd come to the unpleasant realization that there was no real reason to dislike Naruto. Oh sure, he bugs her sometimes, but he's learned tact and a modicum of decency over the years. He's always encouraging her, and he won't hesitate to list all of her imagined strengths. He really is just a kid with a crush. She'd only disliked him because everyone else did, because their parents and all the adults had encouraged it - but they'd never given a reason. Calling a child a demon is honestly going too far, much less denying them access to _stores_.

When she'd looked around, _really_ looked at her village and at herself, she'd found she didn't like any of it one bit. So she'd stopped insulting Naruto and had attempted to be friendly. She'll never forget the face Naruto made when she offered that olive branch - a mix between hope, disbelief, and suspicion. That last one had hit her hard. What child should be suspicious of another child's _friendship?_

Naruto's grin had been radiant when he'd sensed her sincerity, and Sasuke-kun had been visibly proud. It had felt like taking a step in the right direction - towards the capable, independent woman she'd crafted in her head and aspired to be after making up her mind to step out of Ino's shadow.

A woman like that would be able to finish this training in no time, her Inner voice shouts encouragingly.

With this in mind, she clenches her fists and tries again, determined to get it right this time. Sasuke-kun had said the flames had be coaxed, not forced to bend to her will, so she observes her core with a shrewd eye, spots the irregularity, and begins slowly maneuvering the warmth up into her shoulder, down into her arm, and through the palm of her hand.

It catches on fire.

She screams and instinctively cuts off the source, and the warmth recedes back into her core, leaving her chakra pathways strangely cold. She stares wildly at her unblemished hand as her heaving chest gradually calms.

It's then she notices the hand squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. She looks up and blushes when she meets Sasuke's patient gaze.

"Good job, Sakura," he says, glancing meaningfully at her hand. "You did it!"

Sakura blinks. "But- it was red. Yours are blue, aren't they?" A rhetorical question. She definitely hasn't forgotten. Those blue flames are kind of breathtaking.

Sasuke-kun laughs. "Yup. I kind of expected you to have Storm Flames." At her confusion, he elaborates, "It's like chakra affinity. There are different types of flames - Sky, Storm, Rain, Cloud, Sun, Lightning, and Mist. They all have different colors and properties."

"Oh! So the red ones are... Storm?" Sakura asks, and at Sasuke-kun's nod, she goes on, "What are the other colors?"

He explains the colors that correspond with their flames, along with their properties, and Sakura secretly preens under the attention. She's still a woman in love, after all.

There's something that's bugging her, though. "How do you know all of this, Sasuke-kun? That there are other flames, I mean. You said each person could only have one, right?"

His body tenses, and his smile grows a little rigid. Sakura suddenly gets the feeling she shouldn't have asked. She opens her mouth to apologize or stop him or something, but he beats her to it.

"My mother had mist flames, and my cousin Shisui had sun flames," he reveals, words unbelievably gentle. She doesn't dare interrupt him and break the fragility of the moment. "I... My clan members helped me in my training. That's how I know."

"Sasuke-kun..." She breathes, tears in her eyes.

He smiles, and it's sad but genuine. "It's okay, Sakura-chan. They're gone, but I feel like they're watching over me from somewhere. And these flames are precious memories we shared." He stands up, and he's not looking at her when he says, "I don't think they'd want me to be sad, ne?"

She nods emphatically, and that's that.

He gives her one last grin, and then he walks over to Naruto, who - to her surprise - has managed to cover his entire arm in orange flames.

She giggles at Naruto's flailing panic, not unlike her own reaction, and she feels positively giddy - because Sasuke-kun decided to share these precious memories with them, too.

 **II. [mid morning, another perspective]  
**

"Precious memories, huh?" Kakashi mutters to himself. Hidden from sight and senses in a tree above his favored training ground, he overlooks his wayward students. Someone needs to supervise them, after all. He should probably warn them that practicing an unknown and untested jutsu alone is dangerous and really stupid, but he already knows his cute, little students wouldn't listen to him. They're awfully headstrong for a couple of brats.

So he's taken to observing from afar. If nothing else, he's privy to the team dynamics they have when he's not around. They're certainly a lot less loud. And angry. Kakashi might have considered giving up his habitual tardiness if everyone's reactions weren't so amusing - Naruto's and Sakura's especially. Sasuke merely laughs it off, but then again, he laughs off everything. There's definitely something wrong with that kid. He's got Gai levels of cheeriness, and that's just creepy. At the thought, he decides in that moment that he can't let them meet under any circumstances _ever_.

Idly, he holds up a kunai, and with more than a little will power, he manages to coat the weapon in crackling green flames - Lightning Flames, Sasuke had told Sakura. It's an interesting jutsu, something Kakashi is certain hadn't existed before Sasuke apparently discovered it. It's a relief that technically the jutsu is tried and tested, however. And the significance of teaching it to their team is not lost on him.

He's also quite proud that his kids have been able to use this jutsu after only a few weeks of training. He'd managed to conjure some flames only three days in, which if Sasuke is to be believed, is a rarity. Apparently, it was supposed to take a month.

When he'd discovered his brats were spending their time after missions doing this secret training - and after he'd discerned for himself if it was safe to leave them be - he'd decided against surreptitiously prodding Naruto into demanding they get a C-Rank. His kids have been entirely too wiped out after this intensive training to do anything more than pull out weeds and walk dogs. The fact that none of them have complained much (without his prompting) is proof enough of that.

Now that they've succeeded in manifesting their resolve - Sasuke's words - he drops out of the tree soundlessly and moves out of the tree line into the open clearing that makes up Training Ground Three.

"What do we have here?" He asks nonchalantly, startling all three of them. Although... He eyes Sasuke for a moment and amends - two of them. Something to think about later.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura says, flustered and obviously well aware of the dangers of their little training stunt. "We were just..." She flounders and looks to the other two for help.

Naruto blurts out, "We were training! Sasuke showed us this cool new jutsu. Oh! But he said it's not a jutsu. But it's still really cool!" He waves his arms wildly as usual, enthusiastic and patently Naruto. He likely didn't even consider the possibility of asking Kakashi to supervise. The kid hasn't had many good experiences with authority figures - or other people in general.

"Oh?" Kakashi says, feigning interest with ease. He wonders if Sasuke will try to excuse his recklessness. The boy knows the risks as well as Sakura, as the Rookie of the year well should.

"Yes," Sasuke admits innocently. He meets Kakashi's gaze squarely and says knowingly, "Aaaah, but you already know that, ne, Sensei? You _have_ been watching us since the beginning."

He ignores Naruto's outraged questions and tucks away his own. Smiling, he begins walking away, announcing with vindictive cheer, "We're taking as many missions as we can today since you're all so full of energy that you can learn an unknown jutsu behind your sensei's back!"

The groans he gets in return are music to his ears.

 **III. [some time that month, mission assignment desk]  
**

"That's the fifth mission this month!" Iruka can't help but exclaim in exasperation.

The main causes behind his recent grey hairs don't even have the decency to look concerned. This is a concerning matter!

"Maa, don't worry about it, Iruka-sensei," Sasuke smiles reassuringly at him. "It's not like we're _trying_ to get mission upgrades! And we're not even injured this time."

Iruka pinches the bridge of his nose. "Thank you for your consolation, Sasuke, but that's really not the issue here."

Naruto chimes in, "What's the big deal? There was this really mean lady who was destroying this village's crops and making them starve! So we took out her and the other bad guys!"

That is a massive understatement. Given that this is Naruto he's talking about, that in and of itself is saying something. There were missing-nin! And scheming crime lords!

Iruka closes his eyes and prays for patience. "You were only supposed to deliver a letter! How did this even happen?" He then shakes his head and holds up his hand. "No, wait, never mind. I know how this happened. You three have a curse! Trouble is _literally_ attracted to you. If it were up to me, I'd stick you on D-Ranks for the rest of your lives."

Sakura reminds him, sheepishly, "Two of our D-Ranks were upgraded to B-Ranks, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka face palms so hard it's sure to leave a mark. "Did you at least complete your original mission?" His tone leaves no doubts as to his thoughts on their additional mission. _It was a simple delivery!_

Kakashi steps in then and informs him with that disgusting fake cheerfulness, "About that... Turns out the man our client wrote to happened to be the long lost son of a noble here in the Land of Fire." He shrugs without a care. "Who knew?"

Iruka lets his head fall to the desktop with a dull thunk. He is not getting paid enough for this.

 **IV. [three months later, catching up]  
**

"Sasuke... Your eyes!" Sakura breathes, and for once, she isn't blushing at the familiar address her teammate had insisted she use.

He blinks owlishly. " _Oh_ , this is the Sharingan," he says much too calmly.

"That's so great, Sasuke!" She gushes, and it's pride for her teammate and friend rather than that of a mindless fan-girl. By now, both of them know the difference. "Congratulations!"

He gives her a closed-eye smile. "Thanks."

She glances at him curiously, but the blood red has given way to his normal obsidian. Still... She doesn't know much about how the Sharingan works or how it's activated - just that it's a kekkei-genkai limited to the Uchiha Clan and that it allows the user to cast powerful genjutsu as well as predict others' moves and copy any jutsu. She had done a little research on it after she'd discovered Kakashi-sensei had one.

"Um, how did you activate them?" She works up the courage to ask. The topic of Sasuke's family is an emotional minefield, she knows, and their special ability could very well be a sore spot. She hopes he won't be mad at her. She's only seen Sasuke angry a few times and never with her. She certainly doesn't want to break that trend. Curse her thirst for knowledge!

"Haha, I have no idea," he finally admits carelessly.

Sakura face-vaults.

Normally, Sasuke is very clearheaded and calm. He gives off this dependable vibe, like someone who knows all the answers. Sakura is very rarely truly scared on some of their crazier missions when he's around to offer a smile and encouragement. That being said, though, there are times where Sasuke's airheadedness rivals that of Kakashi-sensei's.

"How can you not know?!" She demands, bewildered. Like she said, she doesn't know much about the activation of the Uchiha Clan's famed dojutsu, but surely something like that would be noticeable? _Memorable?_

He laughs. "Just kidding!" Sakura's eyebrow twitches. Sasuke explains, "Remember when Naruto got knocked out by that Aizen-guy?"

Sakura thinks back. That had been during their last disaster of a mission - and it _was_ a disaster, no matter what Naruto says and even if they'd somehow successfully completed it.

The original mission had been a simple C-Rank: find and subdue the wild animals terrorizing the port village of Karakura. They'd only had vague descriptions of the beasts from the various eye-witnesses, and most of them had contradicted one another. Some had sworn they were large tigers and others, small bears. The only thing they'd agreed on was that they had been white. Kakashi-sensei had said there was a possibility it was merely a normal animal hunting out of its natural habitat or that it was just as likely to be the result of an experiment or a mutation. They had decided to err on the side of caution and had prepared for the latter scenario.

They'd guessed right. After an encounter with the strange white beings and lots of digging around, they'd discovered one of the villagers, a man known only as Aizen, had created the things - Hollows, he'd called them - and had set them on the village to assess their capabilities. He'd wanted to see what would happen. Sakura had been - and still is - utterly disgusted. Three of the victims had been children.

Of course, Aizen had been no where to be found. They'd learned all of this from a taunting letter the man had left in the rubble that they'd surmised had once been his lab. Naruto and Sasuke had wanted to see the mission through, by tracking the man down and arresting him, and Sakura had actually agreed with them.

Kakashi-sensei, however, had overruled them and said that it was out of their hands; he'd already sent a report explaining the situation and requesting for a different team. They were only genin, he'd reminded them, and the Hokage would be less than pleased if they'd gone off on their again. They could hardly have argued with that, and despite the fact that Naruto vehemently did, they'd packed up and prepared to depart the next morning.

True to form, that night, over a dozen Hollows had swarmed the tiny town, and Team 7 had been forced to deal with them anyway.

 _A group of shinobi all dressed in black shihakisho showed up and began dispatching of the ghost-like Hollows alongside them._

 _Sakura, back to back to back with Naruto and Sasuke in their triangle formation, whispered, "Who are they?"_

 _An orange-haired ninja who couldn't be more than a few years older than them sliced through more than half of the Hollows on the other side of town._

 _"I don't know, but Kakashi-sensei seems to know them," Sasuke observed calmly. It's times like this that Sakura seriously envied his ability to shake off everything._

 _She slashed through another creepy, white mask - the only way they'd discovered that would kill the damn things - and spared a moment to glance at their wayward teacher. He was chatting amiably with a man in a striped hat, as if they were merely sitting down for tea and not in the middle of battle. She growled in irritation and took down another enemy._

 _Then, Naruto shouted, "There's the guy!" Before either of them could stop him, he ran off._

 _"Not good," Sasuke muttered, stabbing a Hollow that had tried to attack him from behind. "We need to go after him. That Aizen guy's bad news."_

 _Sakura thought so too, and so they chased their teammate and subsequently their target out of town, through the forest, and finally to a clearing with strange ruins dotting the landscape._

 _"Why did you do it?!" Naruto shouted furiously. "Why'd you hurt all those people?"_

 _Sakura inwardly winced at the line of questioning, knowing that there was no way this could end well. Naruto wouldn't get the answer he wanted from this guy._

 _Aizen smirked, and when he spoke, his words dripped with derision and arrogance. "To further the purposes of my research, of course. Unfortunately, the villagers were less than useless in that regard. They died so easily. The three of you, on the other hand, were very helpful. Thanks to you, I have nearly enough information."_

 _Naruto growled, and it was inhuman, malicious. Sakura felt her knees go weak at the sheer amount of malevolence in the air, swirling around them. "You sick bastard! Yuzu almost died because of you!"_

 _Sasuke looked to be faring only a little better than her. He wasn't smiling anymore, and his sword was unwavering. "Naruto, calm down. Don't let him get to you."_

 _Aizen chuckled, and it sent chills down her spine. "Naruto, was it? It's a pity that girl escaped. Her life would have been worth so much more if she'd died in the experiment along with the others."_

 _Naruto's angry, red chakra - how was it visible and where did it come from? - exploded outward, and with another beast-like howl, he lunged for Aizen too fast for Sakura to follow._

 _But not, apparently, for Aizen. With an imperceptible movement, he unsheathed his blade and knocked Naruto aside with one swing. Sakura waited, but he didn't get back up._

 _Sasuke's face grew stony and unreadable. His voice was much the same when he told her, "Sakura, go check on him. I'm gonna try to distract this guy."_

 _'Distract' not 'take down' - Sasuke didn't think they could win without help, and Sakura wasn't naive enough to think so either. She did as he said._

 _Naruto was still breathing. There was a gash that started at his left shoulder and went all the way down to his right thigh, but from what she could see, it was already healing. She shot a spike of chakra into his system, at a loss as to how to wake him up otherwise._

 _Naruto's eyes flickered open, and they were as red as the blood on her hands. He jumped to his feet and leapt at Aizen again, and without missing a beat, Sasuke switched to the fast and unorthodox style of fighting the two of them had developed that somehow worked perfectly for them. Naruto would throw a punch, and Sasuke would thrust at a blind spot. It was coordinated chaos, and nothing fit their team better._

 _Sakura reached into her weapons pouch and grabbed a handful of shuriken. After only a moment of concentration, she imbued them with storm flames, and while making herself seem as harmless and uninteresting as she could, she ran around to Aizen's back and threw half of them. The element of surprise would be their best bet here. Sasuke had already been fighting with rain flames, and Naruto was far too angry to remember to use his own._

 _He dodged them, and she moved to a different spot and threw the rest. Naruto managed to knock Aizen back a few feet, and Sasuke was the source of more than a few tears in the man's clothing - but they weren't gaining the upper hand. In fact, the more Sakura observed, the more she realized Aizen was just toying with them. It made anger and indignation burn within her, especially at the fact that she couldn't do much of anything to help. She didn't know any long-range jutsu, and her taijutsu was still leagues below the boys. She'd just be a hindrance if she jumped in now. She gritted her teeth, hating her helplessness.  
_

 _And then, suddenly, the orange-haired shinobi from earlier was there, and the tables turned. He was stronger than Naruto and Sasuke, that much was immediately obvious. The stranger was pushing Aizen, forcing him back. They were just genin, as Kakashi-sensei had said what felt like years ago. She felt that distinction very clearly now._

 _Then, the rest of the unknown shinobi filed in, including Kakashi-sensei, and Aizen was eventually subdued. Naruto promptly passed out, and Sasuke was only_ just _standing and leaning heavily on his sword. Sakura had fallen to her knees a while ago._

 _They left the village two days later._

Now that she thinks about it, Sasuke _had_ been keeping up with Naruto, who'd been so strong his chakra had been visible to her untrained eyes. "Oh," she says, for lack of anything else to say. That particular mission had given them all a bit of a wake up call - one that they had probably needed after beating the odds so many times and growing overconfident, but it still left a bad taste in her mouth. If the others' reluctance to bring it up is anything to go by, she'd bet they feel the same way.

"Kakashi-sensei has been teaching me how to use it," Sasuke fills what might have become an awkward silence. His smile is apologetic as he explains, "That's why we haven't had team training the last few days."

Sakura _had_ wondered about that, but she'd been too grateful for the reprieve to question her good fortune. She waves it away. "Don't worry about it! I had fun catching up with Ino and Hinata. I hadn't seen them since we graduated."

"That's good," he grins. "I heard Team 10 had some trouble on one of their missions, too."

Sakura nods. "Yeah, it was a bodyguard mission to the Land of Waves that turned into an A-rank. They had to fight nuke-nin, apparently. Ino made it sound as crazy as our missions get."

Sasuke laughs, "Maybe it's contagious."

"I hope not." She grimaces at the very thought.

Iruka-sensei would probably retire if so many missions went awry. She certainly would were she in his place.

* * *

 **End Notes: Yes, that was a minor Bleach crossover. No, it doesn't have anything to do with the plot other than to take the place of the Wave Mission. I did it simply because I could. *shrugs* Also, sorry if things are going a bit fast! I did say this was a collection of moments, though. It's certainly an interesting way to write if nothing else. Also, _I hate fight scenes why do i write them please don't hold them against me ughhh._  
**

 **Question! I've got several scenes that were cut from from the fic since they weren't exactly important plot-wise, as well as a few scenes that were changed _and_ some that were written as a result of your suggestions but that wouldn't fit either. Should I post those - as a separate fic maybe? Would you guys be interested in reading them? Please let me know!  
**


	3. no words are needed

**Notes: This fic is only going to cover Part One of Naruto - before the time skip. At present, I'm not invested enough to work around the Akatsuki and Obito and the other villages. I mulled over it a good long while, and I'm comfortable leaving it at that. Sorry if you were expecting more! I know I kind of implied I'd do the whole series. If I ever _do_ decide to do Part Two - no promises and it wouldn't be right away - I'd make it a sequel. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter, too, and thanks for all of your support!  
**

* * *

 **I. [some time that month, secrets]  
**

"The Nine-Tails was sealed inside me the day I was born," Naruto plunges headfirst despite his uncertainty and fears - because that's how he is. "I'm a jinchuuriki."

He doesn't run away from his problems because he's Naruto Uzumaki, and he's gonna be Hokage one day - believe it!

Sasuke doesn't look surprised, which confuses Naruto for a moment, but Sasuke rarely makes sense. So he doesn't dwell on it. Next, he glances at Sakura, and at least he can read her. She's surprised, all right, and confused, but he can't see any fear on her face. She's not afraid of him. He tries not to show his relief. This isn't over yet.

"So that's what that red chakra was," Sasuke surmises.

Naruto rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, yeah. That was the kyuubi's chakra."

Sakura gasps in realization. "That's why the villagers-" She cuts herself off, but Naruto hears it anyway. _'That's why the villagers call you a demon."_

He chuckles weakly, "You're so smart, Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke says, no inflection in his voice and as if he's coming to his conclusion the more he speaks, "It was supposed to be a secret, but somehow all of the adults know. And they blame you for the destruction a tailed beast caused because they need something to take their anger out on, and you're an easy target."

Naruto drops his hand and gives up on keeping the mood light-hearted. He sighs. "Guess so."

In response, Sasuke's mouth becomes a thin line.

Sakura protests, "But that's not fair! They're- They're _adults_ , and you're- you were a little kid, but still they..." She trails off, cupping her hand over mouth.

Naruto hadn't wanted them to think about this part of it, even though Kakashi-sensei had warned him about this. He'd just wanted to stop keeping such a big secret from them. He'd never wanted Sasuke to look like that or Sakura to cry over him.

"Hey, c'mon, don't cry! I'm gonna become the best Hokage there ever was, and I'm gonna make them look up to me and respect me!" He plasters on his biggest grin and declares it boldly.

Sakura cries even harder. "Oh, Naruto..." She throws her arms around him, and he instinctively hugs back.

He looks to Sasuke for help, but his best friend just shakes his head.

" _Guys_ ," Naruto pleads, at a loss. What's he supposed to do now?

After an eternity of Sakura's quiet sobbing and Sasuke's pensive silence, Sasuke stands up and walks away from them without a word.

" _Wait-_ Sasuke!" Naruto calls after him. Because his best friend had the look of someone out for blood, and that's the last thing Naruto wants.

At this, Sakura pulls away from him at last, hands wiping away the last of the tears. "Sasuke?"

He stops, and when he turns around, his usual smile is in place. "Let's have a sleepover tonight!"

"Eh?" Naruto blurts out, thrown.

Sakura blinks. "A... sleepover?"

"Sounds like fun, ne?" Sasuke laughs and then departs with a jaunty wave. "See you tonight."

Naruto and Sakura share a bewildered glance. Then, Naruto jumps to his feet and runs after Sasuke with a cry of, "I haven't agreed yet, Sasuke-bastard!"

Sakura's giggles follow him out of the training field.

 **II. [a few days later and six months since graduation, chuunin exams]  
**

"I wish to challenge you," the genin - Lee, one of the others had called him - announces brazenly. "Everyone says the Uchiha are so great. I want to see for myself. I think it would be a good test of my skill."

Takeshi laughs - more because it's a default reaction by now than because he finds anything about the situation amusing. Really, children are kind of thoughtlessly cruel. He doesn't want to think about his family or ever let himself forget them, let alone attempt to explain such complicated feelings to a stranger, even if he is a child.

"Maa, can't this wait until the actual exam? I'm sure there will be plenty of chances to fight then."

Lee doesn't back down, of course. Takeshi could tell he was dead set on proving himself against someone whom he believes hasn't worked as hard or something anyway. He goes along with it because it's clearly out of his control at the moment regardless. Also, his words strike a cord, if only slightly. Takeshi has never been spoon-fed anything, especially not since he entered this world, but that's not what's really bugging him.

Slights against himself he can handle. He stopped caring what others thought about him (excluding a precious few) the day Tsuna talked him down from that ledge and then saved his life again when they accidentally tumbled over the edge anyway. What he has a harder time shaking off are insults against his family - and it extends to the family in this world. The Uchiha weren't perfect, yeah, and some of them were plotting something horrible. But. They're his _family_ , and more than the last few months of heightened tensions and arguments, he remembers the good times.

That one auntie who always sneaked him a pastry from her shop. That cousin who always made time to play with him and that other cousin who had the contagious laugh. That uncle who patched him up and promised not to tell his mom after a long lecture. That grandpa who had the best stories and that grandma who always corrected her husband's exaggerations with an exasperated smile.

His mother whom had been impossibly kind and whom had been the best listener. His father whom had been gruff and blinded by his ambitions but whom had loved him in his own way. His brother whom had loved him more than anyone else in the world and _proved_ it.

Everyone else thinks of them as the stuck-up Clan who lived secluded from the rest of the village. Maybe some of them had friends in the Clan or lovers or mentors or students. Maybe there are those who genuinely miss them, like Takeshi does. Nevertheless, they were _people_ , and they _lived._ They certainly did more, _were_ more than the image they presented to outsiders.

The best, this kid reiterates to him. Insinuates that his last name means anything now that he's the last one in the village. Insults his family, who are no longer alive to defend themselves _(because they were murdered.)_ Yeah, it gets under his skin, even though he shouldn't let it when it's so obviously a provocation meant to do just that and when this kid couldn't possibly understand how inappropriate his behavior is.

Naruto, agitated at being completely ignored, charges Lee as soon as they enter the empty room, and Lee bats him away with all the arrogance of a kid who has worked hard to become strong and who knows he's the best because of it. Naruto slumps to the ground, unconscious.

Lee taunts him again, and Takeshi shrugs at Sakura's questioning glance. He's no longer smiling. "All right," is all he says before bursting into movement, sword unsheathed and swinging low in the same movement.

Lee dodges, dropping to the ground and striking at his legs with a low kick. Takeshi narrowly avoids it as he dives onto one hand and flips back onto his feet. Lee's on him without missing a beat, and Takeshi realizes very quickly that Lee is ridiculously fast - faster than him. There's no way he can keep up this pace without slipping up, so he softens the next blow, a high kick to his stomach, and grabs onto it, saturating the leg with flames. Lee instantly breaks his hold, but the damage is done.

His speed drops but not by _enough_. Takeshi activates his Sharingan, and suddenly, he can clearly see Lee's moves a moment before he makes them. That subtle shift in his shoulder precedes his torso twisting to throw a punch. Takeshi dips out of the way and thrusts toward his waist, but Lee twists to the side and- he's going to backflip. Takeshi slices where Lee's _going_ to be, but the other genin strikes at the same moment, forcing him to abort the swipe and jump back.

He's not fast enough. Lee's foot connects, and he flies across the room. A moment of reprieve and then, he's thrown into the air with a series of kicks. Lee's suddenly behind him, grabs him, and as they're descending, his bandages unravel, and he appears to be gearing up for a finishing move. The entire thing happens so quickly that he doesn't have time to react, much less to think of a viable strategy.

Then a turtle reprimands Lee, and the genin instantly releases him, ending the impromptu match. Takeshi twists in midair and lands on his feet. His teammates rush over to him (Naruto must have just woken up), but they're all focused on the intense scolding Lee is receiving from the giant turtle. Anger diffused (it always burned bright then extinguished itself soon enough), Takeshi can't help but to laugh at the bizarre sight.

They soon find out that the turtle is actually a man - a jounin, Lee's sensei, and Kakashi-sensei's 'eternal rival.' His name is Maito Gai, and he reminds Takeshi so much of Ryohei that he likes him on principle. A good thing, it seems, because Gai is pretty amusing all on his own, but he and his student are double the entertainment. He's certain a _sunset_ materialized behind the two of them during their tearful reunion. Naruto's and Sakura's usual over-the-top reactions are the icing on the cake.

After a short conversation, Gai tells him he's alright 'for one of Kakashi's students' and warns him not to become 'cool' and 'hip' like Kakashi. He dutifully promises he won't, and then Lee apologizes for harassing him.

"I misjudged you, Uchiha-san! It seems I still have a lot to learn! I shall run a hundred laps to make up for this unfortunate mistake!" Lee confesses to him diligently.

Gai slaps him on the shoulder and bellows, "As his sensei, I'll run two hundred laps on my _hands_!"

"Then I shall run five hundred laps on _one_ hand," Lee instantly announces.

The two of them disappear as abruptly as they'd arrived, still one-upping each other with more and more outrageous challenges.

"What a bunch of weirdos," Sakura says to no one in particular. Takeshi grins.

 **III. [two days later, forest of death, late at night]  
**

He wakes to screams and the sharp tang of fear. His head is a mess of confusion and pain, and there's an unfamiliar-familiar voice whispering promises of power. He shoves it away and focuses on the present.

He zeroes in on Sakura, bleeding, bruised, afraid. At the same time, he takes in the other children - Team 10, a little shaken but otherwise unharmed. Rock Lee, unconscious but alive and visibly injured. A girl, also unconscious and wearing the symbol of Sound. Two other teenagers, male and from Sound, squaring off against the Konoha ninja.

"Did they do this to you, Sakura?" He asks quietly. It's obvious who he's referring to.

She nods, hesitantly.

Rage flares within his chest, hot and burning, but far surpassing it is tempered anger and fierce protectiveness. He shuts out the silky voice and the tendrils of Other, and the whirling vortex of purple chakra vanishes into the mark on his neck.

"Sasuke?" Sakura whispers.

Takeshi doesn't bother to respond. Glaring at the Sound genin, he demands, still without raising his voice, "What do you want?"

One of them smirks, apparently shaking off his apprehension at the sight of Takeshi. Raising his hands, he sneers, "To kill you."

Takeshi murmurs, "Shigure Soen Ryu Seventh Form: Splashing Rain."

He diffuses the gust of wind with a whirlwind-like shield, and then he switches smoothly to the Ninth Form: Duplicate Rain, creating a huge tidal wave that fills the tiny clearing and blocks him from view, barring a reflection.

The boy scoffs. "Nice try, but I can still see you!" He prepares to attack with more wind.

While his opponent is distracted by said reflection, he moves above and behind him soundlessly and goes in for the kill.

"Zaku, behind you!" The other Sound nin shouts, but it's too late.

"Attacco di Squalo," Takeshi says, connecting with Zako's head and successfully stunning him. He knocks the boy out with a practiced movement.

He stands to his full height, and while at twelve it's far from impressive, the last Sound nin takes a step back.

"You're working for Orochimaru," he surmises, and the boy's twitch of surprise confirms it.

They don't have a scroll, so there's nothing to be gained from attacking them, apart from cutting down the number of competitors. Even then, these ninja are from Sound, the same village Orochimaru is rumored to have a hand in creating and running. For them to attack so soon after one of the Sannin himself did... It's more than suspicious.

The boy seems to deliberate with himself for a moment before apparently coming to a conclusion. "Yes. We were supposed to kill you."

Takeshi had figured as much. He levels his blade at Zaku's unprotected throat. He meets the other boy's gaze, and the meaning is clear. "Give us your scroll, and I'll allow you and your team to leave. Alive."

He ignores Sakura's displeased, "Sasuke!"

Again, the boy hesitates, but with no other options, he capitulates. "Very well." With slow movements, he retrieves the Earth scroll and tosses it toward Takeshi.

"Now, leave," Takeshi says, picking up Zaku and throwing him into the other boy's awaiting hands. He doesn't relax his guard or his hold on his weapon until the boy, arms full of both teammates, leaves both his sight and his senses.

As sure as he can be of their safety, he allows himself to fall to his knees, exhausted mentally and physically.

"Sasuke!" Sakura gasps, hurrying over to his side. She hugs him, sobbing in relief, and he rubs her back soothingly.

With a smile she can probably hear, he reassures her, "Maa, it's okay, Sakura-chan. I'm okay."

And he is. The mark on his neck is throbbing, and he has a headache. His body is worse for wear, and the dirt in his various cuts is exacerbating the pain. And apparently he's got a Sannin after him. But he's had worse. He died once. Surely he can handle anything else thrown at him?

What he's really worried about is his team. "What about you, Sakura? Are you okay?"

With one last sniffle, she pulls back, smiling weakly. "M'fine." The growing black eye and swelling on her face beg to differ, but he's in no position to argue.

"Hey, don't hog Sasuke-kun to yourself, Forehead!" Ino chimes in with no real heat. She looks just as concerned and shaken.

Sakura growls, "Go and bother your own teammates, Ino-pig!"

A genuine grin pulls at his lips, and he laughs at their escalating argument. "Thanks for helping us, Ino," he says, and she stops mid-sentence.

Blushing, she glances anywhere but at him, assuring him, "It- it was no problem, Sasuke-kun."

Naruto, who had been surrounded by Shikamaru and Chouji, jumps up then and shouts at them to run and duck from the snake lady and generally manages to make quite a spectacle of himself until he realizes there's no immediate danger. Takeshi laughs so hard his stomach hurts.

 **IV. [the next day, forest of death, a gut feeling]  
**

He doesn't trust Kabuto. It's only a gut feeling, but Takeshi is an excellent judge of character, second only to Tsuna with his Hyper Intuition. He hadn't liked the teen on sight, and that distrust is only growing with the kid's seemingly selfless offer to help them find another scroll.

He smiles, exposing teeth. "Maaa, that's kind of you, considering you've already failed seven times."

There's a beat of silence as everyone registers his backhanded compliment.

Naruto growls, immediately defensive of his new 'friend.' "Sasuke-bastard! He's just trying to help!"

"That's okay, Naruto. He's not wrong," Kabuto says with fake understanding. He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I would just slow you down, huh?"

"Probably," Takeshi agrees easily.

He catches a glint of condescension in Kabuto's eyes, but it's quickly masked.

Naruto snarls, "What is wrong with you? He's our friend!"

Takeshi is unrelenting. "Thanks for the offer, but we can take care of ourselves." And then, to Naruto and Sakura, "We can, ne?"

Naruto has a moment of incomprehension, but Takeshi can see when he gets it. They'd decided to get strong enough so that they didn't need anyone's help. Team 10 stepping in was appreciated, but they're supposed to be stronger than this. And now, they don't need this kid's help, whether or not it's genuine.

With an irritated huff, Naruto crosses his arms and says, "Yeah, all right. You still don't have to be a bastard about it."

That's still a yes.

Sakura, who'd been quiet during the entire exchange, gives Sasuke a Look (indicating she could sense his aversion to Kabuto wasn't without reason) and nods.

Her tone is apologetic as she says, "Sorry, Kabuto, but we want to do this on our own. It won't mean as much if anyone helps us."

Kabuto shrugs. "Hey, no problem! I get it. Genin all want to prove themselves. Just make sure you don't regret it." And with that parting shot, he disappears into the darkness beyond the light of their campfire.

Takeshi breathes a sigh of relief. Kabuto had given off an impression of harmlessness that had vaguely resembled that of Shoichi, but the older genin had actually reminded him of a scheming Byakuran.

 **V. [three days later, prelims]  
**

"Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akado," the chuunin reads without much interest. "The rest of you move to the spectator's section."

"Sasuke..." Sakura grabs his arm, feeling completely useless.

He smiles at her, like always. It's only recently that she started wondering if it might be as much of a mask as the physical one Kakashi-sensei wears. "I promise I'll forfeit if it gets to be too much," he tells her, gently removing her hand.

She can only stare after him worriedly as he walks away. Kakashi-sensei suddenly appears and says something to him, and Sasuke laughs. After a few more words, he ruffles Sasuke's hair, and then he ambles up to her and Naruto.

"Sensei," she breathes, equal parts comforted by his presence and worried for her headstrong teammate. "Sasuke, he-"

"I know," Kakashi-sensei eye-smiles at her reassuringly. She blinks, surprised, and he puts his hands on their heads and guides them toward the stairs. "Now, now, let's not worry about him! He's strong, our Sasuke."

Naruto shakes off his confusion and puffs up with pride for his best friend. "Of course he is! He can beat this guy, no problem! Right, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura manages a weak, "Mm-hm."

Naruto gives her a weird look, but his attention is soon firmly riveted on Sasuke's match. Sakura hugs herself and watches on, too, a knot of apprehension in her gut.

Ever since that snake person, Orochimaru, put that mark on Sasuke, she can tell he hasn't been entirely himself. The thing looks like it's draining him, and she knows at the very least that it's painful from the little winces and the aborted movements to clap a hand over it. Even his smiles seem strained.

Kakashi-sensei had said he already knew, which begs the question as to how, but does he know all of that? Does he know Orochimaru seems to seriously believe Sasuke will come running to him for more power? Or that he's already sent a team of genin to kill him after almost doing so himself?

If so, he doesn't seem nearly worried enough in her opinion. And if not, she can't exactly ask. He'd tapped a brisk 'not here' on her head as they exited the arena. She bites her lip in frustration.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?! Kick his ass!" Naruto yells when Yoroi manages to pin him down.

The black ink that had been on Sasuke's face back in the forest had begun spreading out again, but at Naruto's words, Sasuke takes a deep breath and forces the markings to recede. Then, rain flames explode outward, covering both of them entirely in a wild blue fire.

They're not comprised of chakra, so Yoroi won't be able to absorb them. And that amount of flames at that proximity... Yoroi freezes in place, and Sasuke simply pushes him aside. With a precise jab, Sasuke knocks him out.

The chuunin, Gekko-san, inspects Yoroi and then announces, "The winner is Sasuke Uchiha."

"Told ya he'd be fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto says, beaming. He cups his hands around his mouth and yells, "Took you long enough, Sasuke!"

Sasuke grins up at them tiredly and flashes a cheeky V sign.

Kakashi-sensei tells them, "Don't worry about Sasuke. I'll take care of him." With that, he disappears and reappears next to Sasuke. Then the two of them vanish in a whirl of leaves.

Sakura can only hope that Kakashi-sensei plans to do something about that mark on Sasuke's neck. If this match was anything to go by, it's affecting his fighting style. He can't use chakra without those ink spots appearing and likely pumping more of that purple chakra into his system.

"What's going on? Where's he taking Sasuke?" Naruto asks, visibly confused.

Sasuke had asked her not to mention the mark or Orochimaru to Naruto.

 _"It'd just distract him," Sasuke explained. "You know how he is. He'd demand Kakashi-sensei do something - or worse, he'd ask the Third. There's nothing he can do, and that'd frustrate him."_

She'd reluctantly agreed - because hounding the Hokage definitely sounds like something he'd do, and he'd feel just as useless as Sakura does now. For someone like Naruto, that's completely unacceptable.

So she smiles reassuringly and says, "Oh, you know. He's probably just making sure Sasuke gets treatment. He was pretty battered after the forest, and his match didn't help."

Naruto chuckles. "Heheh, if he was hurt, he should've said so! At least our lazy sensei is doing something for once." He mutters the last part in irritation.

"Yeah," she laughs wanly, inwardly hoping that it really is as simple as that.

 **VI. [a week later, a pick-up]  
**

"Oh, here to pick up your order?" Tenten perks up when Sasuke Uchiha walks into their shop.

He smiles and glances curiously at her. "Yeah. I didn't know you worked here."

She shrugs. "My family owns the store, and I help out sometimes." He nods in understanding, and she hops up from the counter and tells him, "Wait here. I'll go get them."

A few days ago, Sasuke had apparently come to her dad with a request for a special chakra conducive weapon. He'd had blueprints drawn up and specifications made for a jutsu he'd created himself. Her dad had been impressed and excited to forge it, enough that he'd promised to have Sasuke's order ready in less than a week.

Too bad he's out right now, she thinks a little guiltily. He'd wanted to witness Sasuke testing them out in person.

She finds the scroll they'd been stored in amongst an entire shelf of similar scrolls, and she brings it back to the front of the store where her client is patiently waiting. She unrolls it and unseals it with practiced ease, and with a poof of smoke, three seemingly ordinary sword handles come into view.

"Here they are," she says needlessly. "Dad wanted you to test them out to see if they work properly with your jutsu."

"All right," Sasuke agrees easily enough. He places them between the fingers of one hand, and after a moment, the blue fire from the prelims shoots out of them and takes the form of three short swords.

Sasuke laughs, "Awesome! They're exactly what I wanted."

Tenten finds herself caught up in his glee. Smirking, she says, "Of course they are. My dad's the best blacksmith in the Land of Fire." Which is entirely the boasting of a child about her parent, but he doesn't need to know that. Besides, her dad's the best in Konoha at least, and he does get a lot of orders from outside the village.

Sasuke cuts off the flames and tucks the weapons in the pouch at his waist. "Maa, I wouldn't doubt it. Tell him thanks for me. These are definitely gonna help."

"In the exams?" She asks and then withholds a grimace at the reminder of her abysmal loss against that Sand chick. "You're up against that Sand genin, right? Gaara?" She'd been unconscious for the matches following hers, so she hadn't seen Lee's fight. But considering how strong Lee is and how badly he was hurt... "Good luck," she tells him seriously, clenching her fists. 'Beat him for us,' she doesn't say.

Sasuke's grin dims, but she can sense his determination. "Yeah," is all he says in response. _'Of course.'_

 **VII. [some time that month, after training]  
**

"Can I talk to you about something kind of important, Sensei?" Sasuke breaks the companionable silence that had settled over them as they lounged around the fire.

Kakashi hums. His happy-go-lucky student hasn't really been that since Kakashi whisked him away for training. It's obvious he has a lot on his mind - understandable, considering what he went through. Perhaps he should have expected his student to come to him before Kakashi convinced himself to intervene.

Sasuke visibly steels himself, staring intently into the fire. "I don't want to get revenge. That kind of thing... It won't bring my family back, and I doubt they'd want me to throw away everything - my friends, my team, my dream - in pursuit of it." He puts a hand over the curse seal and digs his fingers into the inked skin harshly. "I hate that everyone's walking on eggshells around me, waiting to see what I'll do. I'm not going anywhere, not willingly. I don't give a damn about his 'power.'"

Orochimaru had seemed certain of the opposite - that Sasuke would run to him given the chance. "Oh?" He says without inflection, and Sasuke glares at him, daring him to argue this point.

He thinks about Orochimaru's parting words to him and the mark he's already left on one of his comrades. Mulls over Sasuke's confession and bullheaded stubbornness at this very moment.

Well, his team had never been ones for meeting anyone's expectations of them anyway.

"You should get some rest," he suggests cheerfully.

Sasuke relaxes visibly and allows a tiny smile to form on his face, apparently gaining something from Kakashi's non-answer. "Yes sir!" He salutes cheekily.

* * *

 **End Notes:** ** **A few things...** Takeshi lies an _inordinate_ amount, guys, so don't take everything he says - to himself and especially to others - as absolute truth. I didn't realize Orochimaru's name didn't come up in the confrontation in canon, but I'd already written the scene. So let's just suspend our disbelief and pretend Takeshi managed to get it out of him, okay? In case it wasn't clear before, Takeshi's not out for his brother's blood. **

**And lastly, I realize this is super close to canon so far excluding a few minor details, but: I wanted him to have to deal with the Curse Mark, the prelims were definitely rigged, and Takeshi is NOT about to spill his problems to somebody else - making him similar to Sasuke in _that_ regard, at least. The thing with Kakashi was a Rare Sight, and Takeshi knows Kakashi is like him and will treat the confession appropriately. (by ignoring it) Things will change Big Time next chapter, I guarantee it!  
**


	4. hey, if you need to cry, just cry

**Notes: Apologies for the delay! It's honestly 100% because of the obligatory fight scenes. They are _definitely_ my least favorite scenes to write, and it probably shows. Also, since a few people have asked: there will be no more reincarnations! Everyone else in KHR! is alive and well. Takeshi was the only one to come through.  
**

* * *

 **I. [after one month of training, sasuke vs. gaara]  
**  
The stadium is huge, and it's filled with spectators both civilian and ninja. The cheers at his arrival would be deafening at any other arena. As it is, there's likely some sort of seal dampening the sound of the crowd and amplifying the words of the competitors.

"I thought you chickened out, Sasuke!" Naruto yells from his designated spot among the others.

Takeshi scratches his cheek, sheepishly. "Sorry!" He mouths back.

"I won!" Naruto grins, feral. "You'd better not lose, or I'll kick your ass!"

He'd said the same thing right before the preliminaries _and_ that he wanted to fight him in a serious match. Takeshi had been curious how they'd match up, too, so they'd promised that they'd both make it to the finals. Now that Naruto has held up his end, it's Takeshi's turn to pull through, and he definitely intends to.

He smirks in answer, and Naruto chuckles approvingly.

Kakashi vanishes with little fanfare, but Takeshi has spent the entirety of his allotted training time with the man hatching out strategies against Gaara. His sensei thinks he can win. That's all the encouragement Takeshi needs.

He turns around, and upon meeting the wild stare of his opponent, he suppresses a frown. Gaara's mental state only seems to be getting worse, and - he spares a glance at the other Sand genin - even his allies are uneasy. Ever since his team was ambushed by Orochimaru, Takeshi has had the sense that there's more to these exams than anyone is willing to let on. Gaara's borderline madness is only increasing his suspicion.

As the Chuunin looks them over, Takeshi shakes his head and falls back into his battle mindset. Whatever his reservations, his objective is the same.

"Begin!" The Chuunin barks, sensibly flickering away from the center of the ring.

Gaara's sand pours out of the giant gourd on his back and hovers just above him, ready to be called upon at a moment's notice, and Takeshi jumps back out of immediate striking range. He hasn't actually seen any of the Sand genin's fights for one reason or another, so he only has Kakashi's account of said battles and possible tactics. Apparently, he's a long range fighter, preferring to stand still while his sand attacks and defends, and until the prelims, he's never been injured by an opponent.

Lee was able to do just that or at the very least shake Gaara's confidence, and had he not been limited to only his taijutsu, Kakashi had inferred, Lee might have even won. Incidentally, Takeshi had 'recorded' Lee's taijutsu during their confrontation as a result of activating his eyes, and so Kakashi had him imagine those moves and attempt to copy them. It had been... a strange experience.

Takeshi still isn't used to his Sharingan, isn't used to recording and remembering absolutely everything he sees when they're activated. His brain is that of an Uchiha, and thus it's genetically predisposed to not only taking in all of that information but understanding it without being overwhelmed. It's a heady thing, that ability, and he can kind of see how most of his Clan came to be so arrogant with that much power at their fingertips.

Nevertheless, part of his month with Kakashi was spent mastering Lee's taijutsu and speed and acquainting himself with more aspects of the Sharingan than simply enhanced vision. Everything _else_? He grins in anticipation.

Suddenly, Gaara clutches his head and moans, "Please! I beg you..." His mouth curves into a disturbing grin, despite the apparent pain. "...Mother."

Takeshi drops his own smile, quietly disturbed. _Mother?_

Gaara continues muttering to himself, "All right, I know. I made you taste such awful blood. I'm so sorry." He lifts his gaze to Takeshi, voice raspy and excited as he promises, "But this time I'm sure it'll taste so very good."

"Maa, sorry to disappoint, but I don't feel like letting you taste my blood today," Takeshi quips.

Gaara ignores him and seems to go through another bout of pain. After a moment, he drops his hand, and when he looks at Takeshi again, the insanity has visibly receded. "Come on," he prompts dispassionately.

Takeshi shrugs, unsheathing his sword. "All right." In one smooth movement, he withdraws three kunai from his pouch and throws them at his opponent. At the same time, he dashes forward. Sand surges up into the path of the kunai, taking the shape of Gaara and absorbing the weapons - and also obscuring Gaara's direct line of sight. Takeshi puts on a burst of speed and appears behind him soundlessly. Gaara tilts his head toward him, but it's too late. **  
**

 _Shigure Soen Ryu All-in-One: Rainy Metamorphosis!  
_

Rain Flames don't so much pour as _burst_ out of his sword with all the force and swiftness of a tidal wave, completely covering a shocked Gaara - and all of his sand - within seconds. It takes a lot out of him, conjuring that much of his flames, but it's worth it. Before Gaara can fully realize what that attack was meant to do, Takeshi switches seamlessly to his favorite form, _Shigure Soen Ryu Eighth Form: Pelting Rain._

Reaction slowed considerably via the Tranquility Factor, not even Gaara's sand moves in time to defend him from it, and as a result, he takes the full brunt of the attack. Four pillars of blue fire crash into the walls of the arena, the smaller cuts they made tearing through what must be Gaara's sand armor and leaving shallow gashes in his chest. His face scrunches up into visible terror as he falls gracelessly to the ground and his armor crumbles away, and then he notices the grisly x-shaped injury.

Gaara gingerly lays a hand on the wound and pulls it away, wet. "Blood! _iT's My BlOoD_!" He shouts disbelievingly.

Takeshi listens to the instincts screaming at him to back away, and not a moment later, a sand spike erupts from the ground where he'd been standing. Gaara's crumbling armor begins to morph the side of his face, and the left side of his body grows a huge, monstrous arm of sand with blue veins running down it. He chances a glance at the other Sand genin, and they look to be even more frantic. So this obviously isn't supposed to be happening. That's reassuring.

As Takeshi watches, the sand forms and reforms, dripping down his body like mud, and even still, he manages to force Takeshi back with more of those deadly spikes. He hadn't been sure how long he could slow Gaara down, considering his ridiculous power and chakra levels, and the answer is apparently not long enough. He's also getting the sinking feeling that he doesn't want whatever that transformation is to reach completion.

Decided, he dodges out of the sand's reach and lands near the wall, and Gaara doesn't chase him. Good. Takeshi settles into the familiar stance and calmly calls forth both his chakra and his flames. Although his fighting style is named for and uses water, in the other world, he'd often been forced to conjure flames instead because there were rarely convenient bodies of water lying around in the middle of a battle. That usually meant he'd tire himself out faster since his flames are basically his life energy. In _this_ world, however, everything is made of chakra, including his favored element, and he can pull it from the _air.  
_

He wraps the newly summoned water and no small amount of flames around his body, the two opposites intertwining around one another in a way impossible to replicate in nature, and he charges toward the still groaning Gaara, too fast for the sand and its master to react. _Shigure Soen Ryu Tenth Form: Clash of the Swallow!_

A harsh gust of wind suddenly attacks him from the left, and utterly unprepared, he's knocked of his feet and thrown away to the far side of the arena where he manages to twist and land on his feet. He glances up and spots the other two Sand genin towing Gaara away as Sand and- _Sound?_ ninja begin attacking Konoha ninja and giant snakes appear and decimate the village's outer wall.

Another look reveals that the Konoha nin aren't particularly surprised by this (and now he realizes that if Takeshi had felt something was going on, then obviously _his superiors_ would have caught on), and Takeshi makes his decision. He follows Gaara into the forest.

 **II. [half an hour later, in the Hashirama trees surrounding Konoha]  
**

"Sasuke-bastard!" Naruto growls as he lands on the branch next to him. "What the hell was that all about?!"

Takeshi spares him a wry grin. "Knew you'd come after me."

Naruto mutters a curse, unable to refute his claim, and Sakura, only a step behind him, crouches beside them a moment later. "Kakashi-sensei told us to bring you back, Sasuke," she informs him with a huff of breath.

"Maa, we can't just leave this guy to do whatever he wants," Takeshi is quick to retort.

"That's what Naruto said." Sakura rolls her eyes and then focuses them on the still ranting figure of Gaara on a separate tree below. "Sensei didn't say we couldn't bring you back _after_ we subdue the threat, though," she says dryly.

Takeshi laughs. "The old Team 7 logic, huh?" Many of their simpler missions would likely have remained mundane had the three of them not used said shaky logic to convince themselves to go through with whatever lead they'd managed to find while on said missions. "I like it."

"Sasuke...!" Gaara groans, shaking and tail swishing around wildly. "You were waiting for your... friends?" He cradles his head in his hands and snarls, "That's why you're weak! Love only yourself... Fight only for yourself... That's what makes you strong!"

Takeshi frowns, at a loss. The familiarity he's felt ever since he laid eyes on Gaara has grown stronger with that last speech, but he doesn't understand why.

Naruto, never one to stand by while someone dismisses his beliefs, shouts back, righteously angry, "You're wrong! You can only grow stronger if you have something to protect! My precious people made me strong!"

Gaara rasps something back and claws at them with his giant sand arm, and Sasuke brings Sakura with him as he escapes the line of fire.

While Naruto argues with Gaara (and really, what a _Naruto_ thing to do in the middle of a battle), Takeshi dodges more sand and counterattacks with his sword - minus any flames because he exhausted those in his fight earlier - and as many fire techniques as his chakra pool will allow. The shuriken are only absorbed and thrown right back, and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to push back the slithery tendrils of Other from his curse mark. He winces when Sakura goes down, having gotten too close with her Storm coated punches, and he sets her down where she won't get hurt. Then, he's back into the fray.

It's as Gaara rebukes Naruto again that it finally hits him. The strange feeling he'd been getting from Gaara is the same as the one he'd gotten from Mukuro in the beginning. Mukuro had scoffed at friendship and bonds then, too, and even despite that, Takeshi knew that Mukuro had come to see all of them as family before Takeshi had been reborn here. He wonders if Naruto senses it as well and if that's why he's trying so hard to convince him.

The revelation - while important - costs him. In his distraction, Gaara's tail manages to hit him with full force, and he slams into and through a few trees before Naruto is there to catch him.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yells, worriedly. He moves them to an untouched branch next to an unconscious Sakura and sets Takeshi down beside her gently.

Takeshi coughs up some blood - _Not good_ \- but he merely wipes it off and smiles. "M'okay. Might not do much good right now, though." And damn if it doesn't sting to admit it.

Naruto nods and then stands up. He makes a fairly recognizable hand sign and announces, "You just sit back and take it easy, Sasuke! I'll take care of this guy!" And with that, his whole body is engulfed in bright, blue chakra. More than that, however, Takeshi can feel the determination pouring out of him.

"Maa, I'm no match for you, am I?" He murmurs to himself, as he watches Naruto and his clones launch the Naruto Uzumaki Combo, careful to keep he and Sakura out of harm's way.

 **III. [two weeks later, otafuku gai]  
**

" _Itachi!_ " He breathes out disbelievingly, eyes riveted on the cloaked figure ten feet before him who is undoubtedly his sibling. Takeshi has crap chakra sense, but he can feel _Flames_ , especially when they're this close and the flames themselves are so familiar to him.

Itachi, who had likely sensed him from miles away, merely turns his head to the side slightly, enough that Takeshi is in his peripheral view - which is more than enough for an average shinobi, much less his genius of a brother.

His eyes are cold, distant, and Takeshi feels a moment of doubt- but he's no coward. And more than anything, he's learned to trust his gut.

"Little brother," Itachi greets him, as unfeeling and stoic as anyone who didn't know him had always mistaken him to be.

Very cautiously, Takeshi allows his meager Mist Flames to flow into the air, invisible and undetectable by all but experienced Flame Users. For all that Itachi had indulged Takeshi with his flames, his brother had never had the time to dedicate to mastering them. He might notice something is off, but he won't be able to break the illusion. That's what Takeshi's counting on, anyway.

Takeshi's never had a penchant for Genjutsu, despite his legacy and his very blood being inclined toward it. His imagination is pretty boring, and illusionists (not including those in his famiglia) had always rubbed him the wrong way. It's almost funny that he was born into a Clan full of them.

Regardless, all of the Guardians had been 'encouraged' to learn secondary flames by Reborn, and to his surprise, Mist had responded to him more eagerly than any of the others. So he'd begun training with Chrome and Mukuro, which had been fairly amusing in its own way. Mukuro's taunts and threats mixed with advice had gotten through to him more easily than Chrome's more patient, tentative attempts. Rain will forever be his go-to and foremost flame, but he's decent with Mist - so long as he's stationary.

 _("Your 'decent' is someone else's 'best'," Tsuna explained to him with exasperation._

 _Takeshi laughed and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Maa, I don't know about that."_

 _Tsuna slumped, shook his head, and turned away. "Never mind.")_

"I know you were forced to do it," Takeshi blurts out, all of his finely worded persuasions and carefully thought out plans evading his grasp now that he's confronted with the real thing. "Our Clan was planning a 'coup, and someone ordered you to- neutralize them." He winces at his own wording.

Itachi half-turns toward him, eyes widened in shock. Takeshi - perhaps stupidly - meets that gaze, pouring all of his regret and heartache and hope into his expression, blindly believing this will work. (He's best friends with _Naruto_ , after all.)

"You did it to protect me," he says, forcing himself to make it a statement and not a question. If he hesitates, he's sure Itachi will try to take control of the conversation, make himself out to be the bad guy - because he's ridiculously self-sacrificing that way. Takeshi's not about to let his brother martyr himself.

"You did it to protect me," he says again, unwavering. "And now, you want me to kill you to- to repent or maybe to force me to become strong enough to protect myself." He sets his jaw and glares. "I won't do it."

Itachi had been listening intently the whole time, visibly troubled, and now, he's scrutinizing Takeshi, clearly mulling over everything he's heard and making connections of his own.

The black of his cloak only serves to highlight the paleness of his skin, and Takeshi is eerily reminded of the last time he'd seen his brother. Even though Itachi is almost the same age as Takeshi had been when he'd died, even though he's an S-Ranked missing-nin and as deadly as he is intelligent, his brother still looks just as tiny and fragile as he had that night. Takeshi's heart aches.

"...Your illusion, it blocks us from all senses?" Itachi eventually breaks the tense silence, somehow having aged in the few minutes since Takeshi spoke to him.

Takeshi's not really surprised his brother figured that out. "Yes."

Itachi, fully facing him now, sighs inaudibly before divulging a name, "Madara."

"Uchiha?" He asks, but it's mostly rhetorical. He's heard stranger things. "He's the one who...?"

The barest shake of his head. "Danzo, the Sandaime's old teammate and closest adviser, contacted me in secret and presented an ultimatum, one that I could not refuse. A civil war or your life?" Itachi tells him, mask firmly in place but cracking around the edges, likely at finally sharing his burden. "I chose the latter and sought out a man who I had been keeping an eye on. He revealed himself to be Madara. He had no small amount of hatred for the Clan and agreed to assist me."

Takeshi steps forward and- stops. Breathes. Swallows. Voice small, he asks, "And then?"

"I fled the village as a nuke-nin. I could no longer stay. Madara promised a position within an organization under him, Akatsuki." Itachi remained still and outwardly stoic. "There, I can gather information and divert some attention from the Leaf Village."

His mind flashes back to Naruto, then, who one of the _Sannin_ had requested join him on a secret mission and who is the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. Takeshi is only here because he bugged Jiraiya into letting him come. Things start clicking. Takeshi surmises, "You mean from Naruto?" Then: "And to protect me," because that's what all of this is about in the end.

"Yes," Itachi admits readily.

"But you don't need to be a nuke-nin anymore!" Takeshi can barely contain himself. He wants to grab his brother and shake him, make him see, make him realize, pull him out of that pit of self-hatred and solitude. "Come _home_ , nii-san. We'll- we can take care of Danzo and Madara and whoever - together. You don't have to do everything by yourself."

The conversation rings familiar, and he remembers, distantly, trying to convince Gokudera of the same thing. It seems he'll always be surrounded by blind idiots who don't realize their own worth.

His words manage to elicit more of a reaction out of Itachi than anything else so far.

Hesitantly, Itachi ventures, "You would... forgive me?" As if the notion itself is inconceivable.

"I already have," he says easily, having come to terms with his feelings on the matter long ago.

Itachi must realize this, but he presses on stubbornly. "I cannot return with you. The only proof of my loyalty would be in possession of Danzo, who is a bigger threat than you know. Were we to confront him, I am uncertain of my victory."

Takeshi frowns, stymied, but he's just as stubborn as his brother and won't back down when he's so close. "So you won't confront him, not alone. I don't know about the new Hokage, but we can try to convince someone. Jiraiya of the Sannin is in this village, too, and there's Kakashi-sensei and- and Naruto. I think they'll listen if I get the chance to explain it to them."

But Itachi is regarding him with that Look again, the one he gave him before his world was turned upside down, the one he wore when he'd seemed so small and, and he _hates_ it. So Takeshi falters, backtracks, "Then, I'll go with you, and you can train me and- protect me, right?"

The very thought of effectively abandoning the village - his team - when he'd been so vehement about not doing so _stings_ , and he can already imagine Kakashi's disappointment, Sakura's tears, and Naruto's hurt. It roils like physical pain in his chest, but he roughly pushes it aside and focuses solely on the lonely, broken figure of his brother. He has the horrible feeling that Itachi will slip through his fingers if he doesn't dig his heels in here. He knows they would eventually understand.

"Take me with you," he repeats when Itachi doesn't say anything. It's starting to make sense in his head the more he thinks about it. "I know you can get away from Akatsuki if you actually try, and with my Mist flames, we can stay hidden even from other S-Rank ninja. The guy who came with you hasn't found us yet." He's felt him poking around the area, but the other shinobi hasn't set foot in the alleyway.

"No one else can show me how to use my Sharingan," he throws out, and it's true. Kakashi can only teach him so much with only one eye and a few genjutsu.

Resolution burns within him, and his flames wait obediently beneath the surface, ready to be called upon at a moment's notice. He has no need of them at this moment, and it's a testament to how committed he is to this decision that even they are reacting. "I'm going with you."

Itachi holds out admirably, but he caves, as he always does. "As you wish," he says, fond exasperation and disbelieving wonder on full display.

Takeshi grins, so hard that it hurts, and he flings himself into his brother's arms and buries his face into his shoulder. Itachi, who must have half-expected it, merely returns the hug stiltedly.

"I missed you," he confesses, and he only realizes he's crying when Itachi's shoulder grows damp.

Itachi squeezes him a little more tightly. After a moment: "I missed you, too, otouto."

Takeshi laughs- or tries to, and it comes out a sob.

 **IV. [later that night, a shared hotel room]  
**

"Yo," Sasuke greets him as soon as he walks in the door.

Naruto starts, not having expected his teammate to still be awake at this hour. Nonetheless, he grins back tiredly. "Hey, Sasuke."

He stumbles forward and falls face-first onto the bed next to Sasuke, and he breathes a sigh of relief at the sheer comfy-ness of it after so many hours training. He's drifting off to sleep when Sasuke speaks up.

"You shared your biggest secret with me," he begins, and when Naruto peeks at him curiously, there's a frown marring his face. "So I want to share mine with you."

At this, Naruto sits up and says, "You don't have to just 'cause I did." He's happy that Sasuke would trust him with something so important, but he didn't share his for any kind of leverage. His nose scrunches up in distaste at the thought.

Sasuke's lip quirks up, a bit. "Maa, I know. I want to tell you, Naruto, because it's _you_."

He tilts his head to the side, bemused. "O-kay," he responds, dubiously. Then, he nods to himself and says, putting on his best Wise face, "Okay. Lay it on me."

Sasuke lets out a shaky breath. "I know that someone forced my brother's hand that day. He was acting on someone else's orders to protect me."

Naruto had never paid much attention to the news about Sasuke's family beyond what it'd meant for his friend - becoming an orphan, just like him. He wouldn't wish it on anybody, and at the same time, he can't deny the kinship he developed toward Sasuke as a result. Still. He'd never given much thought to Sasuke's brother's motives or anything like that. That kind of thinking is stuff Sasuke's good at, and because of that and his faith in his best friend, he believes him without a doubt.

After all, the villagers think he's a demon, a threat to the village, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. Sasuke's brother not being the bad guy isn't so far fetched. And if he did something so unthinkable to protect Sasuke? Well, Naruto knows himself, knows what he'd do to protect his precious people. Killing is his last resort, but it's still something he'd resort to. He can kind of understand Itachi a little, and that's good enough for him, too.

He pulls himself out of his musings and notices Sasuke's nervousness, and he's confused a second time until he gets it. No one else knows about this; that's why Sasuke said it was a secret.

"I believe you." He says, after a moment of Hard Thinking, "But the village thinks he's a bad guy, and they think you're gonna get revenge on him."

Sasuke visibly relaxes. "Yeah, that's the problem." He scratches his cheek a bit sheepishly. "Also... I ran into him today."

"Eh?!" Naruto blurts, shocked.

"I know, I know!" Sasuke tries to wave him down. "I just- I cornered him, and I got him to talk to me. He confirmed my suspicions, Naruto. Finally, I..." He trails off, excited and saddened in equal measures.

Naruto can't imagine what he's going through- because he's an orphan and an only child, and he thinks Sasuke's having trouble dealing with it, too.

"That's great!" Naruto tells him, deciding suddenly that this is a good thing.

Sasuke blinks at him, then smiles brilliantly. "Thanks, Naruto."

"Hehe, no problem!" Naruto chirps, pleased.

Sasuke stands up and heads for the door, somehow lighter now. "I'm gonna take a walk, clear my head. I'll see you later, Naruto."

Naruto yawns and waves a hand lazily. "See you."

Sasuke steps out into the hall, and as he's closing the door, he gives Naruto one last Look - a funny little smile that sets off all kinds of warning bells in his brain. But after a moment, it's gone, and the door is closed, and Naruto decides it was his imagination before falling asleep.

(Later, when Sasuke is long gone and Sakura is sobbing inconsolably into his shoulder, he'll kick himself for dismissing that strange expression - full of regret and guilt and fondness - so easily.)

* * *

 **End Notes: Yes, I copped out of the Naruto v. Gaara fight, but there's no way Takeshi is strong enough - especially after throwing everything he had into his match - to defeat a jinchuuriki right now. Also, fight scene. Enough said. I hope the Itachi & Takeshi reunion was a pleasant surprise! You know, despite the angst. Takeshi leaving with him was _so_ not the original plan, by the way. It's the ultimate example of a scene writing itself. However, I do prefer it this way. (I only just realized this chapter is almost entirely in Takeshi's point of view. Whoops?)  
**

 **The next chapter will be the last one! I'm going to be really happy once this over, haha. Let me know what you think!**


End file.
